The Aral Region is a symptom of the impending climate catastrophe. It is a meaningful lesson of what awaits other desiccating areas of the globe (take the Colorado River Basin) in 50 years if we do not take action now. In WARC’s experience, anyone can be an ecological activist, in whatever field they are pursuing, as long as they commit to meaningful, intentional activism.

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The Ecological Service Trip aims to put college students from leading US and Uzbekistani universities in dialogue with rural high schoolers who lack the same education opportunities. You will craft a series of interactive lessons that you will teach over a week to a village classroom in the Aral Region. You will discuss ecological advocacy, potential solutions for the Aral Crisis and differences between water attitudes in Tashkent, New York and Karakalpakstan. After your stay, you will mentor the high schoolers in creating their own ecological project, showing them how they can build innovative solutions for local challenges from the ground up. Then, you will help install a reverse osmosis filter with WARC, to provide clean water to the school.

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You will present your field of expertise at a high-level meeting with NGO and government representatives. In addition, you will have a chance to travel the Silk Road and study its historical relationship to water resources. The thematic question of our trip is: How can we foster societies that are long-run sustainable about our water resources?

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A trip with us to Uzbekistan not only involves the opportunity to help a community in need but also opens the door to an adventure through the historic centre of the Silk Road. As part of your trip to Uzbekistan, you will have the chance to visit the ancient Timurid capital of Samarkand, contemporary Uzbek society in ultra-modern Tashkent, the famed ship graveyard and the dried Port of Muynak.